Press for attaching soles to shoes



Jan. 16, 1934. J. o. YUNKER PRESS FOR ATTACHING SOLES TO SHOES Filed May 2:5. 1952 2 a 2 R. W J awm m w V T 1N. A y K h HM gm 9 5 K w n? a 4 3 5 5 W. 2 m a V W: & 1% a Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE 10 Claims.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of repairing footwear, and relates more specifically to an improved apparatus for cementing soles and heels to shoes,

boots, slippers or the like.

Generally stated, an object of theinvention is to provide simple and highly efiicient apparatus for attaching soles and heels to shoes or other footwear.

It has heretofore been proposed to cement soles and heels to footwear, by utilizing a resilient reaction pad to press the soles or heels into intimate contact with the footwear while applying heat to the joint through the resilient pad and externally of the footwear. The resilient pads heretofore utilized for this purpose, comprised either resiliently mounted heating units, or fluid filled rubber pads, and the application of heat for the purpose of hastening the cementing action, could be accomplished only with relatively complicated mechanism and in an ineffective manner. Because hi the fact that the heat was applied extraneously of the footwear, it required considerable excess and ineffective heating in order to produce the desired effect, thus making these prior heating devices" of little practical value.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide animproved press for cementing wearing portions such as soles or heels to footwear, and fordesirably hastening the cementing operation, by applying resilient pressure to one,

of the pieces and direct heat to theother of the pieces which are being cemented together.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for eflectively attaching a sole to a piece of footwear with the aid of adhesive, by confining heat within the upper of the footwear while pressing the sole against the heated bottom of the wear.

\ A further specific object of the invention is to provide new and useful apparatusior permanently attaching" soles to shoes with the aid of simple heating, heat transferring and pressure applying mechanism. a

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved press structurewhich is durable in construction and which may be manufactured and operated at minimum cost.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved resilient pad andcooperating pressure applying structure: for shoe sole cementing machines or the like, which will more internally heated footeffectively apply and distribute the pressure over the soles during the cementing operations.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved" shoe' sole press wherein soles may be efiectively cemented onto footwear in the shortest possible period of time.

Still another specific object of theinvention is to provide an improved pressure applying structure for shoe sole cementing units, and an improved heater for expediting the cementing operations.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a new and useful metal last having special utility when used in conjunction with a sole cementing machine wherein heat is applied during the cementing operations. 7

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved pressure applying block for enabling application of the pressure most effectively in sole cementing machines, together with an improved attachment for preventing undesirable distortion of the footwear during soling thereof. v

Still another speoificrobject of the invention is to provide an improved reaction pad support for cementing presses wherein the pads may be con-- veniently applied or removed and which may be manufactured in quantity at minimum cost.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide various improvements in press construction whereby the manufacture, assembly and operation ofsuch structures is simplified, while a neat appearing and durable final structure results.

These and other objects and advantages will the apparent from the following detailed descripion.

A clean conception 'of embodiments of the several features comprising the present invention,

and of the mode of constructing and of operating shoe sole cementingpresses in accordance applying mechanism L section through of the improved pressure transmitting and heat Fig. 5 is a part sectional top view of a fragment of one of the improved pressure blocks and of an attached heating unit, showing the same applied to one of the improved lasts, the sectionbeing taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a full top view of one of the improved lasts which may be used in cementing soles on ladies or childrens shoes.

While the invention has been illustrated and will be described herein as being specifically applied to a portable press of duplex construction,

it will be apparent that the noval features are capable of more general application. Some of the novel features of press construction, shown but not specifically claimed herein, form the subject of copending application Serial No. 569,388, filed October 17, 1931.

The duplex shoe sole cementing press specifically shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, comprises in general a base 8 rotatably supported upon a standard 9 and having a yoke 10 rigidly attached to the opposite side portions thereof; a pair of resilient reaction pads 11 detachably associated with the top of the base 8; a pair of threaded pressing spindles 12 adjustably associated with the yoke 10 above the pads 11; one or more pressure blocks 13 cooperable with the lower ends of the spindles 12; and one or more metallic lasts 14 cooperable with the pressure blocks 13 and with the foot-wear or shoe 15 being soled.

The base 8 illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is preferably formed of cast iron or aluminum, and may be rotatably attached either directly or through a separate casting, to the upper threaded end of the standard 9 which is formed of a suitable length of pipe having a base plate 16 attached to. the lower end thereof. The base plate'lB is of suflicient size and weight to insure proper stability of the assembled structure, and the pipe thread at the upper end-of the standard 9 affords simple and inexpensive means for permitting rotation of the press base 8 relative to the standard 9. The lower portion of the base 8 is provided 'with reinforcing ribs, and the top of this base is provided with integral vertical pad confining walls 1'7 each of which has a front recess 18 and a rear depression 19 therein. The' yoke 10 may be formed of any suitable material and spans the pockets produced by the walls 17, the opposite ends of the yoke being attached to the base 8 adjacent the walls 17 by means of bolts 20.

The resilient reaction pads 11 also shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, are preferably constructed of thick soft rubber and each of these pads has an air chamber 21 therein to which compressed air may be admitted through a valve 22. The valves 22 may be of the type ordinarily used in connection with pneumatic tires, and permit convenient inflation of the pads 11. with air under pressure so that the upper pad 'portions bulge upwardly,

.and the sides of the pads 11 are forced into snug engagement with the vertical side surfaces of the 'walls 17. ,The elastic pads 11 may be readily inof suflicient size to permit free insertion and removal of the valve stems. The rear depressions 19 formed in the walls 17 are not of sufficient depth to prevent proper confinement of the inflated pads 11, but serve to permit proper: positioning of shoes 15 of various sizes upon the pads without causing the heels of the sh es t9 err-- gage the rigid walls 17 while pressing is being effected.

Thepressing spindles 12 coact with threaded openings in the yoke 10 and are movable vertically toward and away from the pads 11 with the aid of crank handles 23 detachably associated with the flattened upper ends 24 of the spindles. The crank handles 23 may be provided with weights 25 for facilitating spinning of the spindles 12 with which they are associated, and the yoke 10 is offset with respect to the base 8 so that the spindles 12 are disposed nearer to the depressions 19 than to the recesses 18. The lower ends of the spindles '12 are cooperable with any one of a series of notches 26 formed in the upper arm of a pressure block 13, the actual selection of the notch being dependent upon the size of the shoe 15 being worked upon. The lower arm of the pressure block 13 may engage the last'l4 either directly, or through an electric heater 27, depending upon whether or not heat is to be utilized to hasten the cementing action.

The pressure blocks 13 illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, are preferably formed of aluminum and are recessed between theirupper and lower arms so as to facilitate insertion of the lower arms into the footwear. The rear portion of each block 13 is provided with an integral projection 28 formed for reception of the recessed end of a plunger rod 29 carried by a retainer block 30.

The retainer block 30 is adapted to coact with the inner heel portion of a shoe 15 in the manner shown in Fig. 2, so as to prevent undesirable distortion of the shoe during the pressing operation and to insure proper cementing of-the arch or rear portion of the sole, and a spring 31 coacting with the end of the plunger rod 29 serves to maintain the block 30 snugly within the shoe.

- may be permanently attached to the lower arm of one of the pressure blocks 13, or it may be omitted if it is never desired to use or to cement with heat. The heater 27 comprises a metal heating plate 34 having side and end retainer walls 35 engageable with the tapered rim of the lower arm of the block 13, and a heating wire or element 36 confined between insulating sheets 3'7, 38 of mica or the like, adjacent to the plate 34. The wire or element 36 of serpentine formation as indicated in Fig. 5, and has one end attached directly 'to a binding post 39. The lower insulating sheet 37 coacts directly with the plate 34, and the element 36 lies directly between the lower sheet 37 and the intermediate sheet 38. The other end of the element 36 is connected above the insulating sheet 38 with a binding post 40, and an upper insulating sheet 41 is disposed between thebottom of the block 13 and the return end of the heating coil so as to insulate the latter from the block. The binding posts 39, 40 are electrically connected tocontacts 42 carried by the block 13 but insulated therefrom, and a removable connector plug 43 is cooperable with the contacts 42 in a manner similar to the ordinary electrically heated fiat iron.

The improved last 14 illustrated in detail in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6, is preferably constructed of aluminum or similar metal havinghigh heat conductivity, and is formed as a shell having ribs 44 spanning the gap between-.the'curved side walls thereof. These ribs 44 perform the dual 1 function of rapidly transferring heat from the heater 2'? to the inner portion of the sole of the shoe 15, and of transmitting pressure from the medial portions of the lower arm of the block 13 to the surfaces being cemented together. The ribs 44 also materially strengthen .the last 14 without adding excessive weight, and because of the fact that the upper surfaceof the last 14 necessarily lies in an inclined plane, the front portion thereof is provided with stop lugs 45. The lugs 45 are formed to engage the opposite sides of the front of the heater 27 and of the lower arm of the block 13 so as to prevent forward slippage of these elements when pressure is applied to the block 13.

When the improved press has been properly assembled, and the chambers 21 of the rubber pads 11 have been supplied with compressed air, the mechanism may be utilized to effectively cement soles to footwear in the following manner. The sole and the surface of the shoe 15 to which it is to be attached, are first properly prepared as by roughening, after which adhesive such as liquid cement may be applied and the shoe 15 positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the sole in contact with the pad 11 and the corresponding spindle 12 coacting with a block 13 and last 14 cooperating with the shoe. The crank handle 23 may then be manipulated to rotate the spindle 12 and to apply pressure to the block 13 and last 14, whereupon the resilient pad 11 will be distorted by virtue of the air cushion afforded by the air filled chamber 21. The distortion of the pad 11 will cause pressure to be uniformly applied over the entire area of the sole, and by .providing suificient air within the chamber 21 it becomes unnecessary to distort the pad 11 to such an extent that the upper and lower walls thereof ever contact with each other. k

The provision of the depressions 19 in the walls 17, and the formation of the pressure block 13 with a series of notches 26 engageable with the spindles 12, permits eifective use of the machine in conjunction with shoes 15 of various sizes and styles, and the retainer block 31 'may also be utilized in order to more effectively cement the soles onto delicate footwear while preventing damaging thereof. The offsetting of the yoke 10 also cooperates with the notching of the blocks 13 to enable. most effective application of the pressure, and the improved last 14 furthermore insures uniform distribution of the applied forces.

If it is desired to hasten the cementing operation, the heater 27 may be utilized by merely connecting the plug 43 with a source of electric current. The heater 27 being located within the shoe 15, will deliver heat directly to the last 14 and through the ribs 44 and sidewalls thereof to the joint or surfaces which are being cemented. The shoe 15 itself will act as an insulator to prevent excessive loss of heat, and the heat confined within the shoe will rapidly penetrate the rela tively thin insole thereof to quickly dry the adhesive. When utilizing the heater 27, the pockets formed within the aluminum last 14 adjacent to the ribs 44 will also act as heat distributors for producing uniform disbursement of the heat, and by virtue of the .removability of. the plug 43, the heater 27 may be disconnected at any time. The lugs 45 of the last 14 function to effectively hold the heater 27. and the block 13 in proper position, and also serve to hold the block 13 alone when the heater 2'? is omitted.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the invention provides an improved method of most effectively and quickly cementing soles .or the like onto footwear, with "loss of heat, due to the direct application of the heat on the side of the surfaces being cemented, opposite to the side to which the resilient pressure is being applied. The improved mechanism for carrying on the method, is extremely compact,

flexible and highly emcient in operation, and may be manufactured and sold at minimum cost. The press may be readily assembled and manipulated, and may obviously comprise any desired number of individual units, any one of which. may be brought into convenient reach of the operator by virtue of the rotary connection between the standard 9 and base 8. The machine is moreover of durable and light construction and presents a neat and highly finished appearance.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the precise details of construction herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: g 1

1. In combination, means for applying resilient pressure to a sole coacting with a piece of footwear along a cement coated surface, a last coacting with the interior of the footwear adjacent to said surface, a pressure block, and a heater disposed between said block and said last.

2. In combination, a pressure block having a heater attached thereto, and a metal last cooperable with said block, said last having local ribs with intervening air chambers formed for uniform transmission of heat from said heater.

3. In combination, a pressure block having a heater coacting with a surface thereof, and a metal last' having heat transfer ribscooperable directly with said heater.

4. In combination, means for applying upward pressure to a sole coacting with a piece of footwear along a cement coated surface, a last coacting with the interior of the footwear above said surface, a pressure block coacting with said last to produce downward pressure thereon, and a heater associated with said block for heating said surface through said last.

5. In combination, means for applying resilient upward pressure to a .sole coacting with a piece of footwear along a cement coated surface, a metal last coacting with the interior of the footwear above said surface, a pressure block for exerting a downward pressure against said last, and a heater associated with said block near said last for heating said surface through said last.

6. In combination, means for supporting a sole coacting with a piece of footwear-along a cement coated surface, a last coacting with the interior of the footwear above said surface and having a downwardly andforwardly inclined upper surface and integral stops at the forward portion of said inclined surface, said stops being relatively laterally inclined and approaching each other at the foremost lower end of the last, and a pressure block cooperable with said surface and stops to urge the footwear and sole toward each other, said block when coacting with said last presenting, upper and lower pressure receiving and dispersing surfaces respectively both inclined in the same general direction as said upper surface of the last.

'7. In combination, means for supporting a sole coacting with a piece of footwear along a cement coated surface, a metal last coacting with the interior of the footwear above said surface and having integral ribs and side walls provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined upper surface, said last having integral relatively laterally inclined stops at the forward portion of said surface approaching each other at the foremost lower end of the last, and-apressure block cooperable with sa' surface and stops to urge the footwear and (sole toward each other, said block when coacting with said last presenting upper and lower pressure receiving and dispersing surfaces respectively both inclined in the sama general direction as said upper surface of the last.

8. In combination, means for supporting a sole coacting with a piece of footwear along a cement coated surface, a pressure block having upper and lower pressure receiving and dispersing arms the latter of which is disposable within the footwear and both of which are downwardly and forwardly inclined when the latter is so disposed,

and a last interposed between said lower block arm and the cement coated surface of the footwear, said last having a downwardly and forwardly inclined upper surface slidably cooperable with the similarly inclined portion of said lower block arm and having stops at its forward end which are relatively laterally inclined approaching each otherat the foremost lower end of the lower end of the last, and a pressure block having substantially parallel upper and lower arms the latter of which is slidable by applied pressure al mg said inclined surface and against said stops to urge the toe portions of the footwear and sole into intimate contact.

10. In combination, means for supporting a sole coacting with a piece of footwear along a cement coated surface, an aluminum last coacting with the interior of the footwear adjacent to said surface, a pressure block for exerting downward 1 pressure against said last, and heating means face through said last.

, JOHN O. YUNKER.

associated with said block for heating said sur- 1'00 

